Description:One of the most popular genres on TV today, with some of the most innovative writing in any genre, the TV sitcom is no joke. This course investigates the peculiar art of the sitcom and offers students the challenge of writing a script for a half-hour TV comedy. Students work step by step, developing a premise, creating an outline, writing pages, revising the draft, and critiquing the script in the classroom workshop. After analyzing a number of current and past televised sitcoms, students complete a script for an existing half-hour comedy (from a selection approved by the instructor). They also learn about the business of the sitcom and are prepared for professional work.